I’m no camera expert, but I certainly know when I like
something and when something is of a high quality or worth buying. Since
starting my blog, one of the most important things for me has been clear photos
because blurry photos are definitely one of my biggest pet peeves. I like a
photograph to ‘wow’ someone, and I think it’s important to be able to capture a
scene accurately and easily. Sometimes blurry photos can’t be helped, but when
I can, I like to use photos that are to my
standard.

I have always been a Canon girl, not because I knew anything about the brand or the type of cameras they produce, but because it was the most popular brand during the time I began using DSLRs. I even have a Canon printer! But the camera I previously had and have been using is the Canon 1000D which isn’t too old, but doesn’t have a live-view screen or recording feature. I decided it was finally time to upgrade, as I wanted more than just a new lens. I marched straight into Bradford Camera Exchange as asked for the newest Canon on the market, and seconds before deciding to buy it, I asked the manager if there was anything better than a Canon as I wanted to try something new. He suggested the Pentax range of cameras, a brand I’d never even heard of. After a little trial run in the store, I fell in love with the camera (and both lenses) and now can’t wait to take more photos!

PROS:

Amazing image quality (especially in RAW format)

Anti-shake actually works

Brilliant viewfinder

Live-view is accurate and fluid

Basic design and easy to use

Works for keen photographers

Weatherproof

In-camera WiFi

Compact not cramped

CONS:

Non-touch screen

A little pricey

Struggles to focus with a lot of movement in video-mode

Handgrip is small

18 – 50mm lens can jam if not released properly

Shorter battery life than my previous Canon

Approx. 678g – heavier than the 1000D

It’s fairly obvious I’m slightly obsessed with this camera.
Not only does it work for blogging photos, but I can also use it for my secular
work for the two charities I work for, Clothing Solutions and Beaneezy. The camera is
incredibly easy to carry around, and despite the small handgrip, it is quite
deep so this isn’t an enormous disadvantage. One of my favourite features is
the live-view mode, which helps me to get a much more truthful view on the
photos I’m about to take, and the spirit level aspect helps to keep my photos
straight. The live-view screen is incredibly responsive and fluid too! When
using this camera, there is very little editing needed (apart from shadows) as
it’s not heavily affected by the sun and bright artificial light. There’s no
strobing that appears, and the camera has 20 different scene modes, including
Museum, Surf & Snow, Pet and Blue Sky – just a few that weren’t available
on my previous camera. This is tremendously helpful when shooting outdoors.
Because the camera works so well with light, the flash doesn’t immediately pop-up
when shooting in Auto-mode and the K-S2 still takes phenomenal photos without
the use of flash.

I’m glad this camera is weatherproof, so there’s no need to
worry when there’s a slight drizzle out as it includes weather sealing. Although
the Pentax K-S2 is a lot heavier than the Canon 1000D, it has so much more to
offer. For example, the camera captures colour so beautifully, there’s never
any need to enhance saturation or highlights. As its summer, the green of the
trees are mesmerising to the human eye and the Pentax reflects this in its
images. I have not been disappointed with a photograph so far, which is a great
sign. Take a look below to see the difference between a scene taken with my
Canon 1000D (18-55mm) and then the Pentax K-S2 (18-50mm)! Note: the photos below were taken within two minutes of each other, to ensure they are as accurate as possible. Both lenses were also set at 18mm for a fair chance.

Canon 1000D

Pentax K-S2

As seen above, the Pentax is also able to capture a lot more with the same zoom. The two lenses I bought were the 18-50mm and the 50-200mm. I
can’t say enough for the quality of the lenses, and how quick the camera is
able to focus to with each one, which is a huge difference in comparison to the
camera I was previously using. I though 18-50mm was great but the 50-200mm is
out of this world! It is able to focus on the smallest items from quite a
distance and still precisely take a photo using the anti-shake system built
into the camera. This is exceptionally accommodating for flat lays and reviews
on products that are small with tiny details on that need to be photograph. I
tend to use the 50-200mm lens when capturing writing or an item that needs real
attention to detail.

Here are some of the key features according to John Riley from ePHOTOzine:

20.12 MP APS-C sensor with AA Filter Simulator

Pentax KAF2 bayonet mount

In-body shake reduction, up to 3.5stops

Glass pentaprism with 100% field of view

0.95x magnification viewfinder

3.0 inch LCD monitor with 921,000 dots

77 segment metering

SAFOX X AF module sensitive to -3EV

11 AF points, 9 cross type

ISO range 100 to 51,200

20 Digital filters

DNG/PEF RAW format

Flucard Compatible

Inbuilt Wi-Fi and NFC

Smartphone and tablet control available with Apps

Full HD Movie Mode

MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 Movie Format

So the Pentax K-S2 will
by staying by my side for a very, very
long time. It could even be used for the day I decided to start a YouTube
channel or include videos on Anika May. I’m incredibly impressed with the brand
and very happy with this investment. I even managed to purchase a small Inov8 camera
bag (with plenty of pockets) that’s the ideal size for the K-S2 as the 18-50mm
lens has a shutter release button to collapse the lens – the camera also warns
the photographer if the lens has not been released properly.